Yellow Roses
by Samwise Baggins
Summary: What happens when Shizuru falls in love with our free-spirited fox?


Title: Yellow Roses

Authors: Sam  
Series: none

Story Rating: R: violence, sexual innuendoes, unhappy ending  
Story Summary: What happens when love finds the freedom-loving fox?

Pairings: Shizuru & Kurama

Spoilers: From the beginning of the series until the end of the Dark Tournament, pretty much (at any given time).

Category: AU, Romance, Angst

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is a trademark of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, Studio Perriot, Media Blasters, and Central Park Media. I am in no way connected with these people, and I do not claim ownership to these characters, lands, or names. I have borrowed them to share a story... and most likely not a story Yoshihiro Togashi would have written, had he had the time or no. I am making no money from this, and it is just for my entertainment, and that of free entertainment to a select group of friends. Thank You.

Distribution: Please ask first?

Setting: AU: During and after the Dark Tournament (it's alternate from the moment they leave Hanging Neck Island, though).

Note: This is based on the song "Yellow Roses" by Dolly Parton; it demanded to be written. I have only seen up to the end of the Dark Tournament, and two movies, so that is why I only write AU after Dark Tournament. I have the lyrics if requested.

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

-----

Frowning slightly, Shizuru Kuwabara took another drag on her cigarette. She seemed unaware of the mass of angry demons surrounding her, but she was very aware. The eighteen-year-old human girl was watching the 'Dark Tournament', which was a gladiatorial battle hosted by greedy humans for the demon population. She shouldn't have even known it existed, but she did. She'd even insisted on coming to Hanging Neck Island to witness the gruesome affair... because her baby brother, Kazuma, was one of the competitors.

Normally demons fought in the bloody spectacle; however, occasionally a team of humans was invited to participate. Their entry was almost guaranteed by a threat placed on their loved ones. This year, apparently, Shizuru's brother had been so threatened, and thus came to fight for his very life in this competition.

Beside the worried teen sat another, slightly younger, teenaged girl. Her name was Keiko Yukimura, and her boyfriend was leader of the human team. Shizuru had just been explaining the bloodbath to the girl in her usual unemotional, blunt way. Now, the pair were silent and watching carefully.

Kazuma had been beaten by his own stupidity. That was really rather expected in Shizuru's thinking, because her fifteen-year-old brother had a tendency to be easily sidetracked and very prideful. Now another team member was taking the stage for his battle. _Something..._ Shizuru spoke unintentionally: "Something about that red-haired boy. I don't think he's really human."

Keiko seized on the words, unfortunately, and questioned them. Shizuru wasn't really aware of her own reply, too busy watching the boy in the ring. There was a glowing aura about him, a sunny yellow which made the older girl feel like a flower intent on blossoming. But his actions were all wrong.

The teen in the ring was actually letting himself be beaten up, almost submissive to the attacks. It was horrible to see, but Shizuru couldn't take her eyes from the scene; she finished her cigarette without any conscious awareness. It was odd, seeing the boy taking such a severe beating voluntarily, but odder still was that the pair of combatants suddenly seemed to be talking rather than trying to win a fight. The demon who'd been winning until then was now as still as the redhead had previously been. Unexpectedly, sprouts of green started springing from the demon's chest and pores. The plants grew quickly, blooming into an array of beautiful flowers.

The human combatant walked away without a flicker of remorse.

With a sigh, Shizuru let her body relax, aware that she'd been tense through the entire brief fight. She shook her head and let her eyes focus on the human team in the sidelines. As another combatant approached, and the small dark-haired competitor went to meet him, the human girl found it nearly impossible to drag her eyes from the curious boy she'd just watch win. She did, however, and forced herself to keep an eye on the center ring despite the draw she felt for the redhead.

After that short guy's fight, which Shizuru was certain had been demon against demon, Yusuke Uremeshi got up. Keiko intently watched, asking questions to which Shizuru replied steadily. Her careless remarks, though, caused the younger teen to run from the stadium seats. Groaning, mentally kicking herself, the Kuwabara girl got up to follow.

Getting separated from her friend, Shizuru noticed she was being followed. As she was among very bloodthirsty demons, this was something which frightened the normally calm young woman. She tried running, only to be almost surrounded. A strong hand gripping her wrist and dragging her along led her away from the immediate threat.

When Shizuru tried to pause, the man gripped her wrist harder and tugged insistently. The woman continued to follow but wasn't sure if she were now in more danger than with the obvious demon threat. They finally stopped to catch there breath as their pursuers ran past. Shizuru turned to her rescuer only to draw in a startled breath.

He was human, and he was extremely attractive.

-----

Later that night, Shizuru joined the other girls in getting ready to crash the boy's hotel room. She pulled her mind away from the meeting with the dark-haired, richly dressed man. The teen planned to see if her brother was all right, and wanted to wrangle a meeting with the rest of Kazuma's team, so she could judge how good they might be in keeping her brother alive, naturally.

When the females invaded the room, it was utter chaos at first. Voices shouting, people everywhere, and questions rapidly being fired and fielded made it all but impossible to think clearly. Through it all, Shizuru was aware of the vast amount of what she could only term energy in the room. There was a sort of yellow-blue surrounding her brother. Of a far greater level were the dark red aura around the small demon named Hiei, and the sunny yellow exuding from Kurama, the red-haired boy Shizuru had so intently watched in battle. The group sat down to socialize, though there really hadn't been any formal greetings or introductions, merely shouted names from Kazuma accompanied by a wildly pointing finger.

It was sometime into the evening when Shizuru called a break for food and drink... and her cigarette. She moved onto the balcony of the beautifully appointed hotel suite. Lighting the thin menthol she favored, the young woman leaned on the railing and basked in the fresh sea breeze wafting over everything. A calm seemed to pervade her and she found herself smiling, despite the constant threat to her brother and their friends.

The sound of the balcony door sliding open intruded, as did the flare of energy behind her. Shizuru refused to turn, however, recognizing the energy as belonging to the strange redhead. He stepped up next to her, apparently just as intent on enjoying a silent moment. Since he didn't seem to be bothered by her smoking, Shizuru decided to pretend he wasn't there: it wasn't easy with his amount of pure energy.

A long, pleasant interval passed, but she knew it had to end. With a final drag, the woman put out her cigarette, tossing it into the ashtray on the balcony. She put on a cheery smile and turned to face her silent companion. Opening her mouth to speak, she had to stop herself from gasping instead.

The boy was watching her with the most intense green eyes she'd ever seen.

"Hello." His voice was a calm, soothing sound, drawing her into his warm smile. He held out a single yellow rose and tilted his head ever so slightly. "Would you have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

Such a thing had never happened to Shizuru. It was the stuff out of fairytales. She found herself blinking in stunned delight, a smile coming to her lips, as she hesitantly reached out for the perfect bloom. Sniffing the blossom, the eighteen-year-old let her eyes rove to the other teen's face, trying to decide if she cold believe this bit of romantic fantasy. "Kurama, right?"

"Yes." It was a simple answer, but something about his gentle voice decided the teen.

With a nod of her head, Shizuru smiled wider and tucked the flower into her waistband. "Sure. Dinner. Tomorrow night." Then, with a flippant smile and a toss of her hair, she strode towards the door, stopping only long enough to call, "don't be late." The young woman went to rejoin the others, feeling happier than she had in a long time.

-----

That next night, dinner was a quiet affair. They spoke a little, and it was mainly Shizuru who did the talking; for once she didn't really mind. It was nice to see her companion so very attentive. She got the feeling he was genuinely listening, as well.

As dinner became desert, Kurama seemed to perk just a bit. His eyes lit up at the sight of the chocolate mousse, making Shizuru laughingly comment that he found chocolate more entertaining than her. He merely smiled, not jumping to reassure her, and she found she enjoyed his confidence... and his understanding of her sense of humor. The seventeen-year-old started revealing small bits about himself at that point.

After they were done eating, the pair took a slow, quiet walk along the beachfront. There were no other couples out in the warm night, and Shizuru was glad. For some reason, she wanted Kurama's complete attention on her. She was even getting used to the amount of energy about him, though that night it was diminished due to the amount he'd had to use in battle.

"So, your mother's a nurse and your father is..." the girl prompted him to reveal a bit more information. Despite their sharing, he hadn't revealed more information than his love of plants and some information about the woman who'd given birth to him. Shizuru turned, stopping in their walk, to face him for his answers.

Kurama smiled at her and nodded. "He is deceased." The answer was so brief, so simple, but he didn't finish there. "I was often on my own, though my mother cared for me greatly." His gentle words held no hint of regret at his near solitary lifestyle.

The eighteen-year-old thoughtfully nodded. "How'd you get mixed up with Kazuma and this crazy competition? It's not the normal sort of schoolyard strutting."

A soft laugh answered the young woman, and she couldn't help smiling in response. This boy was so unlike anyone she'd ever met, drawing her in, forcing her to open up like a bud about to bloom. Somehow, his spirit was nurturing hers.

-----

Shizuru winced once more, trying to remain stoic but not succeeding. It was a horrible sight playing on the video of the arena. Kurama was losing.

They were up against Team Masho, but that name and those demons meant nothing to the young woman watching. Already, her chosen team had fought that morning. Now, by a nasty decision of the Committee, they were forced to fight again. Her brother Kazuma had been so severely injured in the first match, he was unable to get off his back. Hiei and the masked woman who fought on Team Uremeshi, the human team, were in a hospital tent and had been disqualified from fighting. That meant the human team now comprised of Kurama and Yusuke, and they had to fight the five demons on Team Masho.

It was an unfair fight at best, even with the temporary withdrawal of one of the opponents.

Kurama had fought first, and seemed to be winning. His opponent was a make-up-wielding demon who seemed to enjoy talking to and painting the red-haired boy. Unfortunately, realized too late, that make-up had the effects of binding body and energy on its victim while enhancing its user's own energy. Kurama was trapped by his own lack of knowledge one could say.

His enemy had pushed himself to his limit, dying as he sealed the redhead's energy inside his body. Now, the human competitor fought the second of Team Masho, an ice apparition called Toya. The fight was really one-sided since Kurama couldn't use his energy, and Toya didn't hesitate to take advantage.

Toya continued to race around his opponent, blowing ice shards at the helpless teen. He looked like he'd win completely, and the audience roared in appreciation of their chosen team. Shizuru and Keiko were of the minority in wishing a mysterious and sudden demise for the handsome ice demon.

Suddenly, though most conversation in the arena normally went unheard by the vast majority of viewers, Kurama's voice came out clearly. "No more delaying the inevitable. It's time I take my responsibility and make my stand." The boy threw an arm up, taking a direct and apparently intentional blow from Toya's ice blade. The crowd cheered and the human girls winced, confused as to why Kurama would throw this fight and leave Yusuke to fight for the last four points without help.

The pair of combatants circled and wove, Kurama trying to stay one step ahead of his adversary. His blood fell around them, an eerie reflection of the previous fight where Kurama's opponent bled to death. The sound of battle, the intense looks of concentration on the combatants, made for a riveting scene.

Shizuru stood, shock written on her fine features as a plant sprouted from Kurama's wound, spearing Toya's abdomen and causing the demon to fall. It was uncertain for a moment what exactly had happened, how the redhead had managed to do such a thing with his energy sealed. The next words, explaining that he'd sown the death plant into his own system to control it, didn't make things much clearer, but one thing was obvious: Toya had lost the fight.

Kurama, however, fell into a coma, still standing in the arena.

If the audience had thought the last fight was violent, it was nothing compared to the coming battle. Yusuke tried to take the next opponent and was over-ruled by the committee, as Kurama, though unconscious, was still on his feet in the ring. Thus, a one-sided beating took place.

The great hulking demon picked up, tossed around, kicked, and otherwise horribly beat the unconscious teen. Yusuke yelled and protested from the sidelines; the other three team-members were either helplessly near unconscious or silently watching from the medical tent. The audience cheered in bloodlust, loving the sight of the human team being taken down so easily.

Finally, the leader of Team Masho firmly spoke, ordering his teammate to release Kurama and lay him out of the ring. A protest was cut short by the realization that Yusuke had trained his Spirit Gun on the combatant, prepared to take on the entire demon population and forfeit the games to save his friend's life. The demon obeyed and thus the redhead's life was spared.

With a shudder, Shizuru started smoking again, wishing she were able to do more than stand next to Keiko and watch the horrifying scene unfold. She kept letting her eyes rove from the heated battle to the sight of Kurama lying, near lifeless, on the sidelines. For a long time that image would haunt the eighteen-year-old.

-----

Shizuru raced down the hall, separated from the other girls. Yukina, an ice apparition rooting for the human team, had joined Keiko, Shizuru, and Botan, another spirit cheering the humans on. They had been having trouble getting into the arena after leaving for a bathroom break, but now they'd made it back inside by a nasty trick and a bit of stealing. Unfortunately, as they were chased by the demon guards, the girls became separated.

Getting cornered, much as she had previously, the eighteen-year-old prepared to fight. It wasn't necessary. An authoritative voice claimed "She's with me", and the guards rushed to back off. Shizuru turned to see the beautiful well-dressed man from her last run in with demon jerks. They stood for a moment and the man lit her cigarette.

Trying to think of something to say, the young woman forgot all about the tournament, burying the image of a dying Kurama in the back of her mind. This man was handsome enough to drive all thoughts from her head, which should have been a warning. Any time a man drove thoughts from Shizuru's head, something bad had come of it. Unfortunately, she was young enough not to have learned her lesson well; she basked in Mr. Sakyo's attention.

-----

Working quietly, Shizuru was writing a letter at a table in the boy's room, occasionally looking up. To the side a door was open, revealing the sleeping Kurama on his futon. The other members of the team were scattered in various areas, either tending their own wounds or preparing for the coming battles. The eighteen-year-old woman had taken on the job of watching Kurama for any downgrade in his self-healing. After all, he'd asked her out again for that night, not knowing he'd be close to death.

His breathing was regular, steady. With a sigh, the young woman pulled her eyes away from the sight and went back to work on her letter. It wasn't easy to think straight after the events of the day, but she was determined to at least try to get into the semblance of a normal nightly routine while stuck on this demon-infested island.

The sound of a soft groan brought her swinging around, watching as Kurama slowly sat up. Shizuru immediately went to his side, a wry smile on her face. "Well, you certainly know how to show a girl a good time." She felt relief as he turned his intense green eyes up to her.

"Thank you for watching over me, Shizuru."

She shook her head, still smiling. "No problem, Kurama." Sinking onto the floor beside the futon, she bent her knees and wrapped her arms around them. Somehow, when she was with Sayko, thoughts of Kurama fled, but times like now... when she was with Kurama... Sakyo faded into the background. It was a twisted mess, certainly. She needed to change the subject. "So, since you can't go dancing with me, why don't you tell me about how you took out that ice guy?"

"I sowed the death plant into my blood to utilize my sealed energy."

The silence stretched once more and Shizuru frowned. She wanted to find a way to keep him talking. She didn't really care what she was saying, as long as she could continue to hear his wonderful voice. After all, sitting in the dark without talking was fine and well, but she'd much rather be doing something with this guy, talking or otherwise. Before she was able to ask another question, the woman was taken by surprise with her companion's next actions.

He leaned over and kissed her.

Her hands shook. She lifted them to tangle in that beautiful long red hair. With a sigh, Shizuru returned the kiss, basking in the delightful, sweet taste of him. Tilting her head, she stepped up the passion a notch, pleased that he matched her kiss for kiss. Neither were aware of the time when the other fighters returned, or that a puzzled Kazuma saw his sister with his teammate.

-----

During a break in the last great tournament battle, Shizuru went for a walk. She hoped that Sakyo would find her, as he had the other times. Unfortunately, after she located him, the eighteen-year-old wished she hadn't.

He was talking to the leader of the team he owned, Team Tuguro. In fact, it had already come out that Sakyo was the fifth member of his own team, a reserved member who hoped he wouldn't have to fight. It was his presence, and the unfortunate death of Team Uremeshi's masked fighter, Genkai, which resulted in Lord Koenma also stepping in to become the alternate for Team Uremeshi.

But that wasn't what bothered the human woman. It was the conversation she overheard between Sakyo and Tuguro. They were discussing the human man's childhood and his love of gambling. Unfortunately, he'd also revealed a taste of destruction, mayhem, and sadism.

Shizuru gasped as Sakyo revealed plans to unite the Demon and Human worlds with a tunnel. As the two men turned, she could only stare at her rescuer in horror. She turned and quickly left, but not before she'd noted the confusing image of sadness on Sakyo's face. That seemed totally out of character.

The end of the tournament also brought a surprise of horror. Sakyo, having staked his life that his team would win, committed suicide when Team Tuguro was defeated. He did it with style, taking the entire stadium with him. It was horrible, and Shizuru would be haunted by it for months to come.

The worst part, in some ways, however, was as she'd been trying to leave. She'd seen the dark-haired human for one last time. He'd flipped her his lighter, gold with his initials _N.S._ engraved on it. Then, Lord Koenma had pulled her to safety before she was crushed to death with the rich gambler.

Life felt like it shifted somehow, making no sense any more as Shizuru felt her heart mourning for the man she had so briefly known and hadn't known at all.

-----

It felt right. It had been three weeks since the Dark Tournament, and Shizuru Kuwabara had been dating Kurama regularly. She enjoyed being in his company, the relaxing conversations as well as the more deep, thoughtful times. The more she dated the redhead, the less she remembered her brief flirt with a certain dark-haired gambler.

She was taking extra care with her appearance tonight. Tonight, Kurama had asked her to go driving with him. Not to a restaurant or a club, but just driving. It wasn't the sort of activity she had thought of when asked what she wanted to do with him, but something about the suggested date made her feel like it would be a turning point in their relationship. She hoped so.

With a last minute check of makeup and hair, the eighteen-year-old walked over to a window over-looking the street and waited. She ignored her younger brother pacing around, pleased that he worried about her but a bit annoyed that he felt he _had_ to worry over the guy she was seeing. He'd fought in life-and-death situations with Kurama... why couldn't he trust him to take care of his sister?

Seeing a sleek red car pull up, Shizuru instinctively knew it was the one her date would be driving. Something about the car bespoke lean power, as well as graceful beauty. Those were characteristics the woman always related to the seventeen-year-old.

"See you around, Kazuma. Don't stay up late."

At those words, and an uncertain glance from her little brother, Shizuru slipped out of the house. She met Kurama along the walkway, her eyes lighting at what he held. A single yellow rose. It still felt like a romantic fantasy, but one she could easily play along with.

Without a word the pair got into the car. A purring vibration, a smooth maneuver or two, and they were coasting along the street. Kurama kept both hands on the wheel, but he quite readily answered any conversation thrown his way. Shizuru was content to merely make a few comments, and enjoy the ride in silence other than that.

It wasn't long before the boy was easing the car to a stop beside a beautiful mountain-view, the entrance of a small shrine not too far away. It was scenic and very romantic. Shizuru turned in her seat to smile at her date. He didn't disappoint her earlier hopes, though he answered them in an odd way, as usual for him.

"Shizuru," Kurama turned and smiled at her, intense green eyes catching her own gaze and locking. "Would you let me make love to you?" His words took a moment to sink through their honey-tones.

"Oh..." she breathed in. Lifting a suddenly trembling hand to her hair and brushing it from her face, she considered the idea, the boy in front of her. It was a very long, quiet moment, before she finally decided. "Yes."

Kurama nodded and smiled wider, but it was a sweet smile, not the typical smile one might expect from a hormonal teen who had gotten his desires nearly met. Reaching over, the redhead stroked the hair from Shizuru's face, ignoring her flash of annoyance at how she couldn't keep it tamed. Then, he leaned over and kissed her.

-----

Five years was a long time. She had to keep telling herself. There had been no promises, no words of undying devotion, just deep friendship and healthy amount of affection. But still, five years, one would think, would be a sign of a more permanent bond.

Hugging herself, Shizuru walked slowly to the window. She wanted to scream, to rage... to hate... but she couldn't find it in herself. Instead she found an understanding so profound it was terrifying.

She understood why Kurama had left.

For five years, they had dated regularly, had made love occasionally, and had spent much of their waking moments together. They'd both graduated school and went on to different universities, yet they'd still found time to see each other almost every day. It was... odd... that it was finally over.

Shizuru wiped away the tears and tried to school herself, but it didn't help. No matter how much she understood, it still hurt. True, she would have hurt him in the end, as well as herself. But still... so soon? It had only been five years.

The woman ignored the knock on her apartment door. It wouldn't be Kurama, after all, though they'd shared the apartment for three years. He was truly gone, as he'd promised to be, and she knew he wasn't going to be coming back... not for her.

A knock sounded louder, and still Shizuru blocked it out. She found, instead, that it was easier to let her mind drift backwards over the years. It was easier to remind herself just why Kurama had come to her in the first place.

He'd known about Sakyo.

With a sigh, Shizuru wiped her eyes again and looked back at the end table, at Kurama's final goodbye, and picked it up. Lifting the yellow rose to her lips, Shizuru kissed it. It was just like him, wasn't it? To see her pain before she even knew it would happen, then to rush in and help her. He'd been doing that for five years. For five years, he'd been taking her mind and heart off of Sakyo, voluntarily the rebound guy for as long as she'd needed him.

Just the night before, Shizuru had perked up at a conversation with a male coworker. She'd been attracted to him and couldn't stop talking about him to her lover. It hadn't crossed her normally logical mind that she might be hurting him, or herself... and god help her, she was still devastatingly attracted to the man from the office.

Kurama had known that she was finally ready. Some people rebounded quickly, others took years, but the human with the fox-demon soul had been patient. He'd never shown a sign of how trapped he must have felt, putting his own romance on hold, but he'd stepped out of her way as soon as he realized she didn't need a rebound guy anymore.

Shizuru wanted to rant at herself, not Kurama. She could never hate him for this freedom he'd given her. She knew she was finally ready, had taken a long time to realize just how deeply that so brief liaison with Sakyo had effected her. She was finally ready to say goodbye to the gambler, smile in gratitude to the fox, and move on with the real world.

Turning back to the window, Shizuru stared outside blindly, ignoring her agitated brother's entrance, as she let her heart say it's sorrowful goodbye.

-----

With a sad smile, Kurama looked up at the windows of the apartment building he'd called home for three years. His few possessions were in a duffel bag over his shoulder, and his hands were in the pockets of his leather jacket, protecting them from the autumn wind. Late afternoon sun glinted off the glass, preventing the man from seeing if she watched him standing there. She probably couldn't see him. The sun was at the wrong angle, throwing shadows across the place where he stood. That was all right, though; he knew she would be okay. She was finally ready, and she knew it.

Turning, the redhead strode slowly down the streets and into the gathering darkness of twilight. He'd recognized instantly when Shizuru had fallen in love with the gambler, Sakyo. He'd known she would never be able to have the man, and his heart actually went out to the human girl. Unlike his normal detachment, Kurama found himself letting her use him for a rebound guy… offering himself really. And she'd latched on gladly, needing to forget the brief and painful love she'd had.

Five years wasn't so long, really. Not long enough at all. He had enough time to get used to her smiled, her moods, her scent… but not enough to get bored by them. Five years had been long enough to finally capture his heart, and now, he had to ignore the pain and let her free. Shizuru deserved as much; she was ready for it.

Lifting one hand as the breeze picked up, Kurama stopped and turned back for a final look at his lover's home. He held the stem, letting the petals drift on the strong breeze, until finally, like his love, it was scattered and forgotten. Slowly the redhead lowered his hand…

…and, saying his final goodbye, dropped the stem of the single yellow rose.

END  



End file.
